Knitted headwear



Feb. 16, 1965 A. GOLDSTEIN 3,169,252

KNITTED HEADWEAR Filed July 1, 196::

IN VENTOR.

ARTHUR GOLOSTEIN Arronusvs United rates Patent Ofiice 3,l69,252 Patented Feb. 16, 1965 The present invention relates generally to improvements in knitted headwear, and relates more particularly to the provision of a knitted cap having an integral visor and neck hood and to the method of producing the same.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved knitted cap of unitary construction which is readily convertible for efiective use in extremely cold weather as well as relatively mild weather and which may moreover be quickly and easily fabricated at low cost in accordance with a novel production method.

Various styles of knitted hats, caps and hoods have heretofore been proposed for use in all types of weather. In some cases, such prior headwear has consisted merely of a knitted crown provided with an outwardly projecting visor with no provision for ear, neck or chin protection whatsoever. Such knitted caps may, of course, be readily commercially produced at relatively low cost, but the use thereof is restricted more-or-less to mildweather since only the top of the wearers head is protected.

To provide a somewhat greater degree of protection, these knitted caps have been provided with ear flaps hingedly connected to opposite ends of a semi-circular spring band, and such caps have also enjoyed a fair degree of commercial acceptance. However, while the head and ears of the wearer are protected, the cost of these ear-flap caps is undesirably increased by the need for separate fabrication of the ear protectors and the embodiment thereof in the knitted crown. Then too, these caps are still not entirely suited for severe inclement weather since the wearers neck and chin are exposed.

In another effort to provide greater cold weather as well as moderate weather comfort, a number of knitted headwear constructions have heretofore been proposed which embody either an integral or a separable neckband which also serves to cover the wearer's ears, and these prior devices have enjoyed varying degrees of success. in some instances, such knitted headwear consisted of a separately knit band or strap attached by stitching along one edge to the rear of the knitted crown and provided with fastening means such as buttons at the free ends thereof, whereby the band may be distended from a position above the wearers ears and against the crown to a position overlying the ears and under the neck; but the additional knitting, stitching, button applying and buttonhole forming operations required by such structures obviously result in added expense and higher user costs. In other cases, these prior hats have been formed with an integral knitted hood depending from the crown over the face and neck of the wearer, the hood being formed merely with an eye or face opening. However, as far as known, none of these knitted hooded hats were ever provided with or adaptable for an integral visor or eye shield so formed as to be effective with the hood either in a posiion wherein it is folded upwardly over and against the crown or in a lowered position snugly embracing the wearers neck and protectively confining the ears and chin.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide an improved knitted cap of unitary construction 7 which obviates all of the aforementioned objections and disadvantages of prior knitted headwear of this general type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an imflap folded toward proved knitted cap which is readily convertible either for use in relatively mild weather or for use in severely cold weather and which is furthermore neat and attractive in both positions of use.

Still another object of my present invention is to provide a knitted cap which has an integral protective hood depending from the crown and adapted to snugly embrace the neck, the hood being formed with a face opening therein spanned by an integral visor and being distendable from its normal depending position to a position snugly overlying the crown with the visor projecting through the face opening thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of rapidly and economically producing a knitted cap of unitary construction having a con vertible hood and a protective visor, which method comprises,.the steps of initially forming an elongated knitted tube closed at one end andopen at the other end to provide a crown and an integral depending hood, severing the tube intermediate its ends transversely across one side thereof along an arcuate line to provide a flap extending toward the open end of the tube, folding the flap upwardly against the crown to provide a face opening in the tube, placing a crescent-shaped stiffener sheet against the flap a spaced distance from its free edge and folding the extending flap portion over the stiffener sheet, and finally securing the free marginal edge of the flap to the adjacent tube wall beyond the stifiener sheet to confine the same and provide a visor spanning the face opening.

These and other additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the several features constituting the present invention and of the mode of producing and of utilizing knitted headwear embodying the improvements may be had by referring to'the drawing accompanying this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view or" a typical knitted cap embodying the invention and showing the same on a wearers head with the neck hood positioned to embrace the Wearers neck;

FIG. 2 is a similar tioned on the wearers wardly against the crown and above the visor;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a knitted tube closed at one end and formed with a transverse arcuate slit to illustrate the initial production steps;

FIG. 4 is a similar plan view of the tube with the front the crown and partially refolded over a crescent-shaped stiffener sheet to thereby illustrate subsequent steps of the production method; and

FIG. 5 is another plan view of the tube with the crescent-shaped stiffener entirely confined within the folded front flap which, in turn, is secured to the adjacent tube wall as by stitching extending entirely about the marginal edge of the face opening to complete the cap.

While the improvements have been shown and described herein as being embodied in a knitted cap having a particular style, it is not desired to thereby unnecessarily restrict the same by reason of such limited disclosure, and it is also contemplated that certain specific descriptive terminology used herein shall be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Referring to the drawing, the cap shown therein as embodying the invention comprises, in general, an elongated knitted tube 8 closed as at 9 at one end thereof to form a crown portion 10 and open at its opposite end to provide an integral neck engaging hood 11, the tube 8 having a transverse side opening 12 formed therein intermediate its ends. Merging with and extending outwardly perspective view of the cap posihead but with the hood folded upwithin certain limits. I,

111'; 'the pr oduction of caps embodying the invention; the knitted tube is firstformedrin a'custoinary manner either of single or double thickness, one end of the tube being forrnedwith a tightly knit'cou'rse and being closed "as.at, .9 to provide a crown portion'lil and an integral depending hood 11. a The marginal lower edge 'of the I "depending hood- 11- is also ,preferably provided with a I tightly knit conrsel7 to insure snug engagement either with'the, neck or" the wearer when the hood 'isflint its lowered position or snug-engagement with the crown ll jwhe'n thefhood is in its' upper or raised position. The

, tube 8 is next severed transversely across a portion thereof intermediate its ends and-along an arcuate line to'tlius provide afl'ap" l rextendingitoward 1118 013811 end of the tube, the arcuate' slit forming the face opening 12 and a the flap 19providing'the means for forming'the integral visor ,5. The" visor isforrned by next folding the flap V ones,

from the edge of the side or face opening 12 adjacent the crown portion 19 is an'integral visor or eye shield 13,

shown in FIG. 1 wherein it covers the ears and chin and snugly embraces the neck with the visor 13 spanning the opening 12 and face 14 of the wearer to a position as and the hood i1 is distendable from a position such as shown in FIG; 2 wherein the hood ill is folded completely i uponthe crown portion above the wearers ears15 and with the marginal edge of the side'or face opening 12 spanning the vi'sor i3. e e

The tubular body 3 may be formed in the usual nanner" of double thickness on a cylinderfrib' knitting machine or" the-like and is, for the most part,'.of ordinary loose head, and thelowermarginal edge of the neck hood ll stifieningimember'lg within an integral flap portion 19 formed byjarcuate'ly'slitting the tube 8, the flap 39 being foldedmpwardly to formxtheface opening llfi and then 7 being folded over the stiffener 18 and secured beyond I r thee'dge thereof to confine the sarne and form the integral visor. The face opening 'lZihus formed inthe tube 8 is trained by marginal stitching, 2Q providing a marginal I 'overcast' to prevent rayeling, and the stitching or hemming'jZllis elastic to permitstretching of the face" opening 7 7 "rib 'knit." l-iowever, the, upper closed end 9: of the crown/portion is preferably' provided with a tightly knit course to smoothly conform the crown to thewearer s ginal edge of the flap 1? is stitched beyond the outer edge of the member 18 to the adjacent tube wall immediately' adiacent the inner edge of the stiffener member, and V this stitching El-cooperates with the elastic hem stitching framing the face opening 12 to provide :a final neat and attractive assemblage.

.Fr'ornt'the foregoing detailed description, it is believed V apparent that a neat and attractive knitted cap is provided which is: readily adaptable and convertible to use inextrcmely cold as Wellas mild weather. The knitted cap is provided with a protective visor or eye shield which is so formed as to be efiective at all times regardlessof Whether the protective neck hood is in its lowermostjor "in its'raised position, and the improved cap may be readily V fabricated inl, accordance with the simple and novel method described herein. These knitted capsar e capable of being produced in volume at low cost and are extremely" in appearance in either efiective in use as well as attractive position of adjustment. 1

,Various modes of carrying out the invention are contern ated as being within thefscopeot the ;foll'owing claim particularly pointing out and'distinctlyfclaiming' the subjcct matter which is regarded as the invention; I claim: i

A cap comprising, an CiOIlgflidjkIllfid tube clo'sed'at one end thereof to form a crown portion and open at its opposite end to provide an integral neclcengaging hood,

said tube having an arcuate slit therein intermediate its ends forming an integral flap above said slit, said flap being folded uponv itself to form a pocket, and a visor 1 comprising a stiffening member enclosed within said pocket, the'rsfree marginal edge of said flap extending beyond said stiilening'member and cooperating withthe llgrupwardlyagainst the crown portion and-placingta crescent shaped stifiener member 18 against the flap 19 e a spaced distancefrom its free marginal edge and subsequently folding the e'xtending'fre'e portion of the flap 19 lower edge of-said arcuate slit to define a face opening spanned bysaid visor, the marginal edge of said flap being stitched to the inner surface of said 'tubebeyond said stiffening 'rrie mber withtthe stitching extending entirely about said face opening tothereby provide 'a reinforced edgetherefor while also closing said visor'pocket.

1 7 References Cited hy the lilxa miner JonoAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

ber 18 to "thereby confine the same and provide a visor r spahning the fac'el opening. i 7

DAVID i. wiLLt owsKY, Examiner,

is is folded over the member ldto provide the visor 13, the flap i9 

